Nurmagomedov faces Song Yadong in bantamweight title eliminator at UFC Shanghai

Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong will meet in the main event of UFC Shanghai on August 29, with the bantamweight title picture likely to hinge on the result. Multiple sources with knowledge of the UFC’s plans confirmed the booking, with Red Fury MMA first reporting the matchup on Instagram.

Nurmagomedov was originally slated to fight at UFC Abu Dhabi in July, but that bout fell apart when opponent David Martinez was forced out through injury. After failing to secure a replacement, the UFC pulled Nurmagomedov from the card entirely and rescheduled him for Shanghai against Song instead.

Nurmagomedov carries a 20-1 professional record into the fight, his sole defeat a decision loss to former bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. He enters as one of the division’s most dangerous contenders and a win in Shanghai would put him firmly in line for a title shot.

Song arrives in strong form after submitting former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Macau in May — a result that underlined his credentials at 135 pounds. Over his past four fights he has gone 2-2, with victories over Figueiredo and Henry Cejudo offset by losses to Sean O’Malley and Petr Yan.

The card marks the UFC’s second consecutive year holding an event in Shanghai, and the promotion is expected to announce additional bouts for the card in the coming weeks.